This invention relates to cellular basket type carrier packaging for beverage bottles or similar bottled products and is more particularly concerned with impovements in basket carriers which are formed from paperboard blanks, or equivalent foldable sheet material, and which provide a double row of bottle accommodating cells arranged on opposite sides of a central longitudinal partition and handle structure.
In the marketing of bottled beverages one form of container which has long been employed for convenience in handling multiple unit packages, generally, of six, eight, or twelve bottles which are of the returnable type, has been a collapsible carton formed from a foldable paperboard blank which is cut, scored and glued up so that it may be opened up in the form of a basket with upwardly opening cells on opposite sides of a central partition and handle forming panel assembly in which cells the bottles are adapted to be received. Such containers are expected to have a limited life due to the relatively rough handling generally encountered. They are fabricated from a relatively light weight material so as to effect maximum economy of materials and to compete with other package arrangements, some of which are in the form of one-trip disposable units. The most commonly employed bottle carrier of the basket type is characterized by a single row of the bottles disposed on each side of a longitudinal center partition structure which includes a handle formation, the number of bottles in a row being generally three or four, with the handle formation being located so that when the basket is full, the load will be balanced for comfortable carrying. While there has been some effort to provide a carrier of this type which will accommodate a number of bottles greater than the six or eight commonly provided for, the increase in length of the carrier required for accommodating the larger bottle assembly has not proven satisfactory for many reasons. Consequently, the need to meet a demand for a satisfactory package for a larger group beyond the six or eight bottle assembly has led to efforts to design a cellular carrier which will accommodate two rows of bottles on each side of the handle area so as to accommodate a larger group of bottles, twelve in particular, while maintaining a manageable overall length so that the greater weight is better distributed and the package may be carried in a comfortable manner.
It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved multicellular package unit for bottled beverages or similar products which may be fabricated from foldable sheet material and which is designed to provide two rows of bottle receiving cells in paired arrangement on opposite sides of a center partition and handle structure which extends vertically between the two rows and separates the bottles in the two adjoining inside or center rows.
It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a multi-cellular basket type carrier for products having the shape of beverage bottles which is adapted to be formed in collapsed condition from a pair of cut and scored blanks of relatively light gauge paperboard stock and which, in the opened up condition, will provide two rows of bottle receiving cells on opposite sides of a center partition structure which incorporates in the top margin thereof a handle formation enabling the weight to be distributed, when the carrier is filled with the bottles, so as to permit carrying the package in a comfortable manner.
A further object of the invention is to provide a bottle carrier carton which is adapted to be formed by cutting and scoring a pair of paperboard blanks, or similar foldable sheet material, so as to divide each of the two blanks into a plurality of panels which may be folded and connected in collapsed condition and joined together so that when opened up into the form of a basket a double row of upwardly opening cells forming bottle receiving pockets are disposed on opposite sides of a central upstanding bottle separating partition structure having upper portions which are adapted to be grasped for carrying the carton when loaded with the bottles.
A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved bottle package comprising a tray-like carton, when set up, in which a double row of bottles may be disposed in upwardly opening pockets provided on opposite sides of an upstanding central partition structure, which partition structure includes a handle forming portion for carrying the package and wherein the cellular carton structure may be formed by cutting and scoring a pair of blanks of paperboard, or other suitable sheet material, so as to divide each of the two blanks into a plurality of panels which may be folded and connected in collapsed condition and joined together so that when opened up into the form of a basket a double row of upwardly opening cells forming bottle receiving pockets are disposed on opposite sides of a central upstanding bottle separating partition structure having upper portions which are adapted to be grasped for carrying the carton when loaded with the bottles.
A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved bottle package comprising a tray-like carton, when set up, in which a double row of bottles may be disposed in upwardly opening pockets provided on opposite sides of an upstanding central partition structure, which partition structure includes a handle forming portion for carrying the package and wherein the cellular carton structure may be formed by cutting and scoring a pair of blanks of paperboard, or other suitable sheet material, so as to divide each of the pair into a plurality of panels which are adapted to be folded and secured so as to form, when set up with cooperating sidewall panels secured in face-to-face relation, bottle receiving pockets which include a double thickness of material in areas where the bottles would otherwise contact each other so as to separate confronting portions of the bottles and thereby comply with railroad shipping requirements for separation of the bottles.
To this end the invention which is claimed herein comprises a cellular carton for packaging bottled products which is formed from a pair of cut and scored blanks each of which is divided into a series of wall forming panels so as to form a collapsible cell forming unit, with the two units connected by securing separate sidewall members in face-to-face relation thereby forming a carton which is in the form of a tray having a double row of upwardly opening bottle receiving cells disposed on opposite sides of a central partition and bottle separating wall structure, which separating wall structure has an upper portion for grasping by the hand so as to enable the package to be conveniently carried when it is loaded with bottles, the separate panels of the central partition and bottle separating structure being hinged each at its opposite ends to the vertical edges of pairs of end wall forming panels, with one of each pair of end wall panels having an outboard hinged connection with a sidewall forming panel, and the cells in each of the double rows thereof being defined in part by an upstanding partition wall which extends between the rows and which is hinged at its opposite ends to cooperating hingedly connected end wall panels on a vertical hinge line which foldably connects the end wall panels and enables the cells on each side of the central partition and bottle separating wall structure to be collapsed, when empty, and to be folded into flattened relation against said central partition and bottle separating wall structure.
The foregoing objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent when reference is made to the accompanying detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention which is set forth therein, and shown in the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout.